The Washington critic., 1887-06-28
WASHINGTON. JUNE %. 1887.
THE CENTENNIAL OF 1850.

papers last year, 1t Is probable thnt thoy and
real estate ring in the istrIct of Columbll
will strCnuouSly OPPOSE the iGovomeJt g
have New York the seat oi Nh" natlolal cole
bratlon, aud claim thar tho ur.nclpal cerono-
nics should take place ln jhc Capital of the
country 1t Is hopoi Nul believed, however
that Congress will recognize tie oinincnt ht-
ness Of conducting the celebration in the city
where the events ComUHnoraiCl occurred,
which g. moreover, tn, oiiif city Of tho
United s,a'cs-fE T. Evening rost.
Reference is bad in thu above para
graph to thc Centennial o, the Consti
tuition, which, accortias 70 Intelligent
opinion. in aud out of Congress, is TO
be held in Washington in The spring of
1889.
Evidently the wri.rr "a not well post.
ed, eXcepllug. It may H.. rs to the de.
sire OF the New York merchants that
the celebration b4 held Ia That city. 1t
would help the season trade
Two years ago ilIE CEiTic began the
agitation of the Cenienulll movement,
coupling 1t with the SUI gestion that It
lie made the initial step TO It Permanent
Exposition, to be formally loauGuratci
in 1892 with celebration OF the Dis
covery of America by Columbus.
The proposition has taken palpable
form since then under the wise and
energetic direction of Board of Pro.
motion composed not only of promi.
neDt citizens of Washington, but of all
the States and Territories. The United
States Senate has given its assen! to
the project. Various distinguished
officials of other Republican govern.
ments OF the Western Hemisphere have
approved it and pledged their earnest
cooperation.
What 1.-The comments Of Washington
newspapers last year" were we do not
specifically recall. 1t is true that they
all "strenuously oppose" any scheme
for holding the Centennial in New
York or elsewhere outside of the
National Capital. They do not recog.
nize the "eminent fitness" of celebrat.
ing the foundation of the Government at
adistance from the seat of Government.
But what under the sun real
estate ring" has to do with the enter.
prise, or with tue newspapers in con.
nection with the enterprise, passes our
comprehension.
If our New York contemporary were
better advised 1t should know by this
time that the proposition commits the
government to no outlay, other than
necessary for the proper exhibition Of
its own resources and scientific collec-
,ions-tu outlay which Is absolutely
necessary to be made, independently
of any contemplated celebration.
Much less does II associate the gov.
ernment with any real estate specula-
lion or syndicate.
The idea is simply this-,hat the
Centennial of the Constitution be
made national rather lhan local
affair; tina, 1t lie international as we'll
as national, and that an anniversary
which notes the establishment of q
Republican form of government on
this continent, and In which all the
American countries that have pat
termed from our model are expected to
take part, ought, by every considera.
tion OF propriety and in the fitness of
things, to be held al the Capital of the
parent government.
Here alone can the machinery OF our
national institutions be best observed,
their strength fairly appreciated and
their wonderful growth duly meas.
ured.
To localize such project would be
10 cheaper Its impressiveness and de.
feat its purposes.
II is true that by accident Of circum
gurated In New York, and the stone
on which his feet rested during the de.
livery Of his address is still pointed
out, but to such throng as will gather
10 celebrate the Nations Centennial
birthday, 1t would be undiscoverable
and inaccessible. And what sentiment
would attach to this inanimate stone
what lesson would 1t teach, compared
with the magnificent aud marvellous
evidences of progress that are grouped
a, the Capital and to which the chile
homage of the hemisphere would b(
paid
TnE provisions OF the new polio
regulations as 10 bicycles ARE not popu
lar with riders. In The earliest day
of bicycling and In the earliest eXpe
Iiences Of individual bicycllst5 the bel
and the lantern seemed very important
IneXrerlenced riders aud persons VIII
have never ridden naturally think thn
safety lies in making the wheel nois,
by day and luminous by night an
warning the world ut large ont of th
way. As the bicycli'i learas bis busl
ness be begins to Understand That tn
bell terrlles more than warus an
causes more trouble ihin T, prevents
and that the lipht dalllgs others an
obscurcs his own view. Heleaus tha
artificial safeguards do not increase tn
safety, and that he must accept The oh
legation to avoid collision by his ow
skill and regardless of the actions q
others In the opinion Of wheelmer